1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to wireless data communication and, more particularly, to broadband wireless data communication.
2. Related Art
There is an increasing demand for broadband wireless communications, such as wireless internet access, which service providers are attempting to provide.
Cellular telephone companies are advertising future availability of broadband wireless internet access. According to the advertising, users will be able to connect to the internet at ever increasing speeds using cellular telephone systems.
Conventional cellular telephone systems do not provide uniform indoor or outdoor coverage. For example, a cellular telephone may work well in one part of a building but not in another part of the building or in one part of a city, but not the other.
Thus, it is expected that broadband wireless technology, such as cellular broadband wireless technology, will suffer from at least the same and most likely more of the location limitations as conventional cellular telephone technology. In fact, for a number of reasons, it is expected that cellular broadband wireless technology will suffer even greater location limitations due to factors such as increased bandwidth and additional users.
For example, broadband wireless communication will require transmissions at higher bandwidths to extend the available data rates. The higher the bandwidth, the more signal to noise ratio will be required to accurately transmit and receive the information. Given that all other factors remain the same, the distance and reliability will be reduced as the bandwidth increases. In addition, other cell phone frequency bands are being considered, at even higher frequencies. Cell phone systems deploying higher frequency technology will have increased distance and reliability problems due to increased directionally and free space loss.
In many locations, the current coverage area is unacceptable for low speed voice applications. Higher bandwidth and higher frequency wireless signals will reduce the current coverage area even more. As a result, in some environments and locations, reception of broadband wireless communications is expected to be poor or non-existent. In other words, broadband wireless communications, such as planned internet access through cellular telephone systems, will not provide adequate coverage in many locations and situations.
What is needed, therefore, is a method and system for extending the coverage area for broadband wireless communications, such as, but not limited to, planned internet access through cellular telephone systems.